Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 21 hail storms within 25 miles of Bristol, VA. Of those, 19 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2022 was the most active year on record locally, with 12 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Bristol| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 6 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 13 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 1 event | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 1 event | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 events |
| 2024 | 1 event |
| 2023 | 3 events |
| 2022 | 12 events |
2022 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Bristol, with 12 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Bristol typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-21 | 2 N Mountain City, TN | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reported quarter sized hail near the intersection of Liberty Church Road and Cold Springs Road north of Mountain City. |
| 2026-09-05 | 4 W Bristol Tn, TN | Minor | 0.25" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-07-05 | 2 NW Abingdon, VA | Moderate | 0.75" | Dime-sized hail. |
| 2026-03-21 | WHITE MILL, VA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-21 | 4 NNW Abingdon, VA | Significant | 1.00" | Pea to quarter size hail. |
| 2024-09-24 | EAST KINGSPORT, TN | Significant | 1.00" | Concurrent to a public report of one inch hail, a trained spotter reported a measured 55 mph wind gust along with small to medium broken tree branches. Both events occurred in Bloomingdale. |
| 2023-09-07 | HARR, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2023-06-04 | GRAY, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2023-06-04 | GRAY, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2022-05-21 | GROSS XRD, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | KINCHELOE MILL, TN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | SPURGEON, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | GRAY, TN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | LYNN GARDEN, TN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | HOWARD HILL, TN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | LYNN GARDEN, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2022-05-19 | LONG IS, TN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2022-05-06 | BRIDWELL HGTS, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2022-05-06 | BURSON PLACE, VA | Significant | 1.25" | In addition to large hail, several trees were blown down. |
| 2022-04-06 | HAMPTON, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
NOAA has recorded 71 high-wind events within 25 miles of Bristol, VA in the past five years. Of those, 71 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 85 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 3 events |
| Significant | 68 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-10 | 2 NW Shady Valley, TN | 60 | Significant | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-06-18 | DUNGANNON, VA | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds between Dungannon and Nickelsville. |
| 2025-12-19 | COLONIAL HGTS, TN | 59 | Significant | Several powerlines were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-12-19 | FLOURVILLE, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by powerful thunderstorm wind gusts on Delmer Salts Road and on Carroll Creek Road at the steeplechase. |
| 2025-12-19 | AVOCA, TN | 60 | Significant | A power pole was broken in two by severe thunderstorm wind gusts, as well as several large tree branches and a few shingles off a nearby roof. |
| 2025-12-19 | ABINGDON, VA | 60 | Significant | Two roads in Abingdon were blocked after severe winds blew down a couple of trees and other debris into the roadway. |
| 2025-09-06 | ELIZABETHTON, TN | 60 | Significant | A severe thunderstorm produced a swath of intermittent thunderstorm wind damage due to a severe convective downdraft. Wind damage began in portions of Elizabethton, mainly confined to trees and powerlines being blown down, and continued parallel to SR-91 to the county line with Johnson County. A trampoline from an unknown address was lofted and eventually deposited outside of a small grocer on the east side of Elizabethton. SR-91 was blocked in multiple locations by fallen trees, including near the Stoney Creek VFD Station Number 1. |
| 2025-09-04 | FRIENDSHIP, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were downed onto powerlines by severe thunderstorm winds. |
| 2025-07-17 | GREENDALE, VA | 60 | Significant | Several trees blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-07-09 | BRISTOL, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down in Bristol by severe thunderstorm downburst winds. These trees were scattered about the city, not concentrated in one area. |
| 2025-06-26 | YELLOW SPGS, VA | 60 | Significant | Multiple trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-06-17 | GALLOWAY MILL, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were felled by powerful thunderstorm wind gusts. At 9:13 PM EDT, the Tri-Cities Regional Airport recorded a 54 mph gust during the storm passage. |
| 2025-05-20 | FRACTIONVILLE, VA | 60 | Significant | Unknown sized hail fell during the storm in addition to the severe wind gusts felling several trees. |
| 2025-05-17 | MT OLIVE, VA | 70 | Severe | Widespread trees down across the area from severe thunderstorm straight line wind gusts. |
| 2025-05-17 | WYNDALE, VA | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-05-16 | CARBO, VA | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-05-02 | MOUNTAIN CITY, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. Hail also fell during the storm, unknown size. |
| 2025-03-31 | MOUNTAIN CITY, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm downburst winds. |
| 2025-02-06 | HILLCREST, TN | 60 | Significant | A few trees were blown down by powerful thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-02-06 | LYNN GARDEN, TN | 60 | Significant | A tree fell on a car in northern Kingsport after being blown down by powerful thunderstorm winds. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Bristol was on September 21, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Bristol averages roughly 4 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 19 of the 21 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Bristol in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Bristol-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in VA cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Bristol. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Bristol took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationBristol sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.